Hiatham Breadiy  and his mother, Azeza.  The first thing you notice about Azeza Breadiy is her immense determination and focus. Her firstborn son, Hiatham, has a severe form of epilepsy called Lafora Disease. This disease typically doesn’t manifest itself until adolescence. Children grow up normally, with no perceivable problems until they begin to suffer with seizures. Hiatham is 15 and was recently diagnosed with Lafora. From manifestation, which is normally the first seizure, a Lafora victim will die typically within 10 years. There is no cure. Therapy is primarily palliative and aimed at reducing seizures. This is when Angela Hospice stepped in to support the Breadiy family. Social Worker Amanda Davis Amanda Davis is Hiatham’s Angela Hospice social worker. She has teamed up with Azeza and the family to help find community resources for the many things they need to keep Hiatham comfortable. The Breadiy family has three other children, Sophie, age 11; Gehad, ...

Name:   Lin Fantino How long have you been a volunteer?   I became a volunteer in Fall 2017. What areas do you work in/what sort of tasks do you do as a volunteer? I work primarily in the Care Center, providing support for patients and staff.   I completed a little additional training to allow me to support the Care Center staff with direct care to patients.   This direct care adds a little more depth to the volunteer skill set and it is something I really enjoy.    As volunteers, we are also invited to respond to the requests for volunteer assistance from other Angela departments.   Marketing mailings, special events preparation and participation, and special assignment opportunities are some of the options for volunteers.   I enjoy this variety. What made you decide to become a volunteer? Volunteering has always been something I was drawn to.  M y children are grown and doing well and I had just retired,  so I wante...

Name:   Jeanne Coleman How long have you been a volunteer? For Angela Hospice, almost 2 years, but close to 15 years with hospice — first in New York, then in Utah before moving to Michigan. What areas do you work in/what sort of tasks do you do as a volunteer? I currently have two areas of volunteering — I work in the Care Center where I help out each Saturday morning with breakfast and any other help needed by the patients, nurses, and aides. Secondly, I am active in the Bereavement Department doing   community outreach work, offering a grief support group to a retirement center. What made you decide to become a volunteer? I was teaching health for grades K-12 in New York when it became very apparent to me that my students were experiencing many losses and grief. I discovered we had no health curriculum that dealt with loss and bereavement, so I began to research sources and found hospice. Based on their work, I designed my own curriculum and was so in aw...

Our home care patient Barb had an unforgettable day at Comerica Park last month. She loves watching the Tigers, and she got the star treatment too, than ks to the Detroit Tigers Dreams Come True program. Barb was right on the field where she had her baseball autographed and got to meet some of the players — including her favorite, Miguel Cabrera. Looking at these photos from her experience, Barb reminds us that it's never too late to make amazing new memories. Barb's Tigers Photo Album Niko Goodrum signs Barb's baseball Barb with her nephew Mike and his wife Kim Barb meeting Leonys Martín Having a chat with Miguel Cabrera It was an unforgettable day at the ballpark Photos are the property of The Detroit Tigers, used with permission.